CN101233408A - Measuring device, measuring apparatus and method of measuring - Google Patents

Abstract

The measurement device of the present invention has a first container and a second container for holding a reagent, and an optical measurement unit for optical measurement. The first container has a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying a reagent containing a substance to be measured to the first container. The second container has a second sample supply port for supplying a sample to the second container, and a reagent holding portion for holding a reagent for optical measurement.

Description

Measuring instrument, measuring device and measuring method

technical field

The present invention relates to a measuring instrument and a measuring method for analyzing substances contained in a sample.

Background technique

Conventionally, measurement devices used in the field of clinical examinations mainly include large-scale automated devices and POCT (point of care testing) devices.

The above-mentioned large-scale automated equipment is installed in the central clinical examination department of a hospital or a company mainly engaged in clinical examination commissioning business, and it can perform multi-item examinations on samples of a large number of patients (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). For example, the 7170 large-scale automation equipment produced by Hitachi can complete the inspection of 800 tests per hour for 36 items at most. Therefore, it can be said to be a device for hospitals with a large number of subjects, which greatly contributes to the efficiency of examinations.

On the other hand, POCT equipment refers to equipment used in clinical examinations performed in medical sites other than hospital examination rooms or inspection centers, and also includes equipment used in home medicine (for example, refer to Patent Documents 2 and 3). For example, a blood sugar sensor, a pregnancy diagnosis drug, an ovulation test drug, an HbAlc/microalbumin measuring device (for example, DCA2000 manufactured by Bayer), etc. are mentioned. These POCT devices are less commonly used than large-scale automated devices, but since they can focus on a marker substance specific to a certain disease and measure the marker substance easily and quickly, they are ideal for screening and monitoring of subjects. Effective. In addition, because POCT equipment is small, it is excellent in portability, can be introduced at low cost, and does not require special expertise in operability, so anyone can use it.

Currently, there are many measurement items for clinical examinations, but when a body fluid such as urine is used as a sample, measurement methods are roughly divided into optical measurement methods and electrochemical measurement methods. In the above-mentioned conventional large-scale automated equipment and POCT equipment, any measurement method is used for measurement.

In recent years, the increase in medical expenses and the increase in patients with lifestyle-related diseases have increasingly oppressed the medical economy, and the reduction of medical expenses and the suppression of the increase in patients with lifestyle-related diseases have become issues. As one of the fundamental solutions to this problem, evidence-based medicine (EBM: Evidence-based-medical) is being studied. By performing EBM, medical treatment can be managed objectively according to each patient, and the number of patients with lifestyle-related diseases can be particularly expected to be suppressed through the practice of preventive medicine.

In order to establish and practice EBM, examination information obtained by clinical examination is essential. Examination information in the EBM includes examination results and solutions for patients based on the results. Here, the solution for the patient refers to lifestyle guidance such as dietary management, drug treatment, and the like. That is, the positioning of examinations in EBM is "setting of tasks" and "determination of policies" for people who are going to receive medical care. In EBM, in order to provide more substantial solutions more securely and safely, it is necessary to clearly raise issues for those who are going to receive medical care. Therefore, in clinical examinations, it is important to easily and quickly understand the respective examination results for a plurality of examination items that are related to each other.

The above-mentioned existing large-scale automated equipment is commonly used, and can perform inspections of multiple items regardless of whether it is related to a disease. However, due to the complex structure of the device, it is difficult to operate except for persons with specialized knowledge, and it takes a long time to obtain the test result, and there is a problem that it takes a long time to report the result to the test subject. . In addition, the above-mentioned POCT equipment is excellent in operability and can perform inspections easily and quickly. However, since markers related to specific diseases are used as dedicated measurement equipment, multiple items cannot be inspected.

Therefore, an instrument having a cavity into which a sample solution flows through capillary action and used for biochemical or clinical tests has been proposed, which has an electrode structure for measuring the electrical characteristics of the sample, and antibodies or enzymes that can be released into the cavity. A reagent in which the wall of the cavity is transparent so that optical measurement can be performed in the cavity (for example, refer to Patent Document 4).

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-127126

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-248310

Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 03-046566

Patent Document 4: Specification of US Patent No. 5141868

However, in the structure of the instrument described in Patent Document 4, there is a problem that the reagent used for the optical measurement reaches the electrode structure by dissolving in the sample supplied into the cavity, and the electric current performed by the electrode structure is affected. Detrimental effects on property determination.

Contents of the invention

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a measuring instrument, a measuring device, and a measuring device that have a simple structure and can quickly and accurately measure a plurality of measuring items by optically measuring and electrochemically measuring a sample. test methods.

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the measuring instrument of the present invention includes: a first container and a second container for holding a sample containing a substance to be measured; an optical measurement unit for optical measurement; the first container has a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying the sample into the first container; the second container has an electrode for supplying the sample to the first container; A sample is supplied to a second sample supply port in the second container and a reagent holding portion for holding a reagent used in the optical measurement.

In addition, the measuring device of the present invention includes: a measuring instrument mounting part for mounting the measuring instrument; a light source for emitting incident light from the outside of the second container to the inside; and receiving light from the second container. A light receiving unit for emitting light from the inside to the outside; a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the electrodes; an electrical signal measuring unit for measuring electrical signals from the electrodes; A computing unit that detects or quantifies the analyte contained in the sample through at least one of the outgoing light received by the light receiving unit and the electrical signal measured by the electrical signal measuring unit.

In addition, the measurement method of the present invention is a method of measuring the first analyte substance and the second analyte substance contained in a sample using a measurement instrument, wherein the measurement instrument is equipped with: a A first container and a second container for a sample of a substance and a second substance to be measured, and an optical measurement unit for optically measuring the sample held in the second container; the first container has a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying the sample into the first container; the second container has a second sample supply port for supplying the sample into the second container; A sample supply port and a reagent holding part for holding a reagent used in the optical measurement, the measurement method includes the following steps:

(A) a step of supplying the sample into the first container through the first sample supply port immersed in the sample;

(B) a step of supplying the sample into the second container through the second sample supply port immersed in the sample;

(C) a step of applying a voltage to the electrodes;

(D) a step of measuring electrical signals from the electrodes;

(E) a step of detecting or quantifying the second analyte based on the electrical signal measured in the step (D);

(F) a step of irradiating incident light onto the sample held in the second container through the optical measurement unit;

(G) a step of measuring emitted light emitted from the inside of the second container through the optical measurement unit to the outside due to the irradiation of the incident light;

(H) A step of detecting or quantifying the first analyte substance based on the emitted light measured in the step (G).

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a measuring instrument, a measuring device, and a measuring method capable of rapidly and accurately measuring a plurality of measurement items by performing optical measurement and electrochemical measurement of a sample.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a measuring instrument according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an A-A sectional view of Fig. 1 of the same measuring instrument.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the measuring instrument.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a measurement device of the same embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the measuring device.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the measuring instrument of the same embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a B-B sectional view of Fig. 6 of the same measuring instrument.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a measuring instrument according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a C-C sectional view of Fig. 8 of the same measuring instrument.

Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the measuring instrument.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a measurement device of the same embodiment.

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the measuring instrument of the same embodiment.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing another modified example of the measuring instrument of the same embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view taken along line D-D of Fig. 13 showing another modified example of the measuring instrument of the same embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a modified example of the measurement device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is an E-E sectional view of Fig. 15 of the same measuring instrument.

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the same measuring instrument.

Fig. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the measuring instrument.

Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of main parts showing a state in which the valve of the measuring instrument is opened.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a measurement device of the same embodiment.

Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the measuring device.

Detailed ways

The measuring instrument of the present invention includes: a first container and a second container for holding a sample, and an optical measurement unit for optically measuring the sample held in the second container, the first The container includes a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying a sample into the first container, and the second container includes a second sample supply port for supplying a sample into the second container. A mouth and a reagent holding part for holding a reagent used in the optical measurement.

With this configuration, the optical measurement and the electrochemical measurement of the sample can be performed by supplying the sample into the first container and the second container at one time and using one measuring instrument. By arranging the first container and the second container, placing electrodes in the first container, and placing reagents for optical measurement in the second container, the reagents required for optical measurement will not diffuse to the electrodes and will not affect the electrochemical measurement. Because of the influence, it is possible to quickly and accurately measure a plurality of measurement items.

Here, it is preferable that the first sample supply port and the second sample supply port are provided at positions adjacent to each other. This is because, with such a configuration, it is easy to supply the same sample to the first container and the second container.

In addition, the optical measuring unit preferably includes a light incident unit for allowing incident light to enter from the outside of the second container to the inside, and a light emitting unit for emitting emitted light from the inside to the outside of the second container.

Such a light entrance portion and a light exit portion are preferably formed of an optically transparent material or a material substantially not absorbing visible light. For example, quartz, glass, polystyrene, polymethylmethacrylate, etc. are mentioned. When making the device disposable, polystyrene is preferred from the viewpoint of cost.

In addition, the above-mentioned electrodes are preferably a pair of electrodes. According to this configuration, for example, by measuring the electrical conductivity of the sample, the concentration of the salt contained in the sample can be known.

As the material of the electrode, a material containing at least one of gold, platinum, palladium, or an alloy or mixture thereof, and carbon is preferable. These materials are chemically and electrochemically stable, enabling stable measurement.

In addition, the above-mentioned electrode is preferably an electrode for measuring the concentration of a specific compound or ion contained in a sample. Based on this configuration, the concentration of a specific compound in a sample can be known. For example, when a glass electrode or the like is used, the concentration of sodium ions can be measured.

Furthermore, the electrode is preferably an electrode having a membrane (ion-sensitive membrane) that senses specific ions contained in a sample. According to this configuration, the concentration of specific ions in the sample can be known.

Here, as the ion-sensitive membrane, a membrane having a function of selectively permeating any one of sodium ions, potassium ions, lithium ions, magnesium ions, calcium ions, chloride ions, ammonium ions, and hydrogen ions can be used.

As the compound constituting the ion-sensitive membrane, known compounds can be used depending on the ions to be permeated. For example, the following clathrates with ion selectivity can be used: when it is a sodium ion, bis[(12-crown-4)methyl]2,2-dibenzomalonate, etc. can be used; when it is a potassium ion , can use bis[(benzo5-crown-5)4-methyl]pimelate etc.; when it is lithium ion, can use phosphate dodecyl-14-crown-4 etc.; when it is magnesium ion, 4,13-bis[N-(1-adamantyl)carbamoylacetyl]-8-tetradecyl-1,7,10,16-tetraoxa-4,13-diazepine can be used Cyclooctadecane, etc.; for calcium ions, 4,16-bis(N-octadecylcarbamoyl)-3-octabutyryl (octbutyryl)-1,7,10,13,19-pentaoxo can be used Hetero-4,16-diazacyclohexadecane, etc.; when it is a chloride compound ion, 2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethyl-4,5-bis(N-normal Butylthioureido) xanthene, etc.; when it is ammonium ion, 2,6,13,16,23,26-hexaoxacycline [25.4.4.4 ^7,12 .4 ^17,22 .O ^{1 , 17} .O ^{7, 12} .O 17 ^{, 22} ] Tetratricosane, etc. All of the above clathrates can be obtained as commercial items from Dojin Chemical Laboratory Co., Ltd., for example.

As a method of forming an ion-sensitive membrane on an electrode, for example, there is a method of dissolving the above-mentioned clathrate, plasticizer, anion excluder, PVC and other polymer compounds in an organic solvent, and coating the resulting mixed solution on the electrode. And make it dry by air drying etc.

The above-mentioned electrode may be an electrode of a field effect transistor (FET) formed of silicon or the like. In addition, it is preferred to use a potential-stabilized reference electrode, such as Ag/AgCl or a saturated calomel electrode, as one electrode, or as a third electrode in combination with other electrodes.

In addition, it is preferable to carry an enzyme on the electrode. Since the enzyme catalyzes the reaction of a specific compound with high selectivity, it is possible to achieve a highly selective determination of a specific compound in a sample. Depending on the compound to be measured, conventionally known most suitable enzymes can be used from the viewpoint of selectivity and reactivity.

Examples of enzymes include glucose oxidase, glucose dehydrogenase, alcohol oxidase, cholesterol oxidase and the like. These enzymes can be purchased as commercially available products.

In the present invention, the enzyme is preferably insoluble in the sample and immobilized on the electrode. According to this configuration, even if the amount of the sample is not uniform, it is possible to perform accurate measurement.

In addition, electron mediators capable of electron transport between the enzyme and the electrode, such as iron/ferrocyanide ions, ferrocene derivatives, ruthenium complexes, osmium complexes, or quinone derivatives, can also be used as needed. . When the enzyme is immobilized on the electrode, it is more preferable to also immobilize the electron carrier.

In addition, the electrode is preferably provided in the first container at a position different from the optical path of the incident light from the outside to the inside of the measuring instrument and the outgoing light from the inside of the measuring instrument to the outside.

According to this configuration, the electrodes do not block incident light and outgoing light, and since no electrodes are provided in the second container, good optical measurement can be performed on the sample supplied into the second container.

In the measurement device of the present invention, it is further preferable that the reagent contains an enzyme or an antibody. The reagent is preferably arranged so that it is contained in the second container in a dry state, and is dissolved in the sample when the sample is supplied into the second container.

For example, the reagent can be supported by impregnating a porous carrier made of glass fiber or filter paper in a solution of the reagent and then drying it, and the porous carrier can be placed in the second container. In addition, the reagent solution may be directly applied to the wall surface constituting the second container, followed by drying to arrange the reagent.

Antibodies as reagents are advantageous in terms of ease of preparation of reagents because they can be produced by known methods. For example, antibodies against the above-mentioned antigens can be obtained by immunizing mice, rabbits, etc., with proteins such as albumin and hormones such as hCG and LH as antigens.

Examples of antibodies include antibodies against proteins contained in urine such as albumin, antibodies against hormones such as hCG and LH contained in urine, and the like. If necessary, a compound such as polyethylene glycol, which promotes the agglutination reaction of the antigen and the antibody, may coexist near the antibody in the measuring device.

Since the enzyme as a reagent catalyzes the reaction of a specific compound with high selectivity, it is possible to achieve a highly selective measurement of a specific compound in a sample. Depending on the compound to be measured, conventionally known most suitable enzymes can be used from the viewpoint of selectivity and reactivity.

Examples of enzymes include glucose oxidase, glucose dehydrogenase, alcohol oxidase, cholesterol oxidase, and other oxidoreductases. In this case, optical measurement is stable when a dye or a dye source that causes the result of the enzyme reaction to develop or decolorize coexists with the enzyme. These enzymes can be purchased as commercially available products.

In addition, the measuring device of the present invention includes: a measuring instrument mounting part for mounting the measuring instrument; a light source for emitting incident light into the second container of the measuring instrument; 2. A light receiving unit for emitting light emitted from the container; a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the electrodes; an electrical signal measuring unit for measuring electrical signals from the electrodes; A computing unit that detects or quantifies a substance to be measured contained in a sample by receiving at least one of the emitted light and the electrical signal measured by the electrical signal measuring unit.

Here, it is preferable that the measuring device is attached to the measuring device in a detachable state. In addition, the measuring instrument is preferably used once.

In addition, the measuring device of the present invention preferably further includes a suction unit for supplying the sample by suction to the first container and the second container of the measuring instrument attached to the measuring instrument mounting portion. at least one of the

Here, the measuring instrument preferably further has a suction port for sucking the sample into the first container and/or the second container. According to this structure, in the state where the measuring instrument is mounted so that the suction port of the measuring instrument is connected to the measuring instrument mounting part, the sample can be easily supplied to the first container and/or the measuring instrument using the suction part. or in the second container.

In the above apparatus, the first suction port may be provided in the first container, and the second suction port may be provided in the second container. At this time, it is preferable to provide the first suction port and the second suction port at positions adjacent to each other.

According to this configuration, by attaching the measuring instrument to the single measuring instrument mounting part, the suction part can be used to simultaneously suck the sample into the first container and the second suction port through the first suction port and the second suction port respectively. inside the container.

The suction unit may be manual or automatic, and examples thereof include the same piston mechanism as conventional syringes, dispensers, and the like.

In these piston mechanisms, the method of operating the piston may be manual or automatic, but automation is preferable because it can reduce the burden on the operator. As an automated method, there is a method of operating a piston using an electric motor. As the motor, there are stepping motors, DC motors, and the like.

A stepping motor is a motor that rotates by a specific rotation angle every time a pulse signal is input, and since the rotation angle can be determined by the number of pulses, an encoder for positioning is not required. That is, the working distance of the piston can be controlled by inputting the number of pulses.

The rotary motion of the motor is converted into linear motion by using a gear mechanism, a linear mechanism combining male and female threads, etc., thereby operating the piston. In the case of a DC motor, the method of converting rotary motion into linear motion is the same, but in the case of a DC motor, an encoder for detecting the rotational position of the motor is necessary to control the working distance of the piston. In addition, there is also a linear stepping motor. In this type of motor, a linear mechanism combining a male screw and a female screw is incorporated into the motor, and the rod-shaped movable part performs linear motion according to the number of input pulses. Therefore, the piston can be directly connected to the rod, and the structure becomes simple.

In addition, for example, the above-mentioned suction unit can be used when supplying the sample to the second container of the measuring instrument, and capillary phenomenon can be utilized when supplying the sample to the first container. At this time, it is preferable to make the inner surface of the member constituting the first container hydrophilic. According to this configuration, the sample can be supplied to the first container smoothly, uniformly, or quickly.

In addition, the measurement method of the present invention is a method of measuring the first analyte substance and the second analyte substance contained in a sample using a measurement instrument, wherein the measurement instrument is equipped with: a A first container and a second container for a sample of a substance and a second substance to be measured, and an optical measurement unit for optically measuring the sample held in the second container; the first container has a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying the sample into the first container; the second container has a second sample supply port for supplying the sample into the second container; A sample supply port and a reagent holding part for holding a reagent used in the optical measurement, the measurement method includes the following steps:

(A) a step of supplying the sample into the first container through the first sample supply port immersed in the sample;

(B) a step of supplying the sample into the second container through the second sample supply port immersed in the sample;

(C) a step of applying a voltage to the electrodes;

(D) a step of measuring electrical signals from the electrodes;

(E) a step of detecting or quantifying the second analyte based on the electrical signal measured in the step (D);

(F) a step of irradiating incident light onto the sample held in the second container through the optical measurement unit;

(G) a step of measuring emitted light emitted from the inside of the second container through the optical measurement unit to the outside due to the irradiation of the incident light;

(H) A step of detecting or quantifying the first analyte substance based on the emitted light measured in the step (G).

Here, in the measuring instrument of the present invention, it is preferable that the distance X from the second sample supply port to the reagent holding part and the distance Y from the first sample supply port to the electrode satisfy the relational expression X The reagent holding part and the electrodes are arranged in a manner <Y. Furthermore, it is preferable to detect a change in the electrical signal in the step (D), and to automatically perform the step (F) based on the detection.

According to this configuration, the sample supplied from the first sample supply port and the second sample supply port reaches the reagent holding portion earlier than the electrodes. Therefore, by detecting the change of the electrical signal from the electrode, sensing the arrival of the sample at the electrode, and automatically irradiating incident light to the sample based on the detection, it is possible to prevent erroneous optical measurement before the reagent dissolves in the sample due to insufficient sample. .

In addition, in the measuring instrument, the first container may further have air holes. The air hole is preferably provided in a portion that sandwiches the electrode and is located on the opposite side to the first sample supply port. According to this configuration, the first container functions as a cavity (capillary), and the sample is supplied from the first sample supply port to the electrode by capillary action. Therefore, the sample can be easily supplied into the first container only by bringing the first sample supply port into contact with the sample.

In addition, it is preferable that the above-mentioned first sample supply port and the above-mentioned second sample supply port are provided at positions adjacent to each other, the change of the electric signal is detected in the above-mentioned step (D), and based on the above-mentioned detection, in the above-mentioned step (B) ), the sample is sucked into the second container through the second sample supply port.

According to this structure, by detecting the change of the electrical signal in the electrode, it can be sensed that the first sample supply port and the second sample supply port of the measuring instrument have been immersed in the sample, so it is possible to prevent the second sample supply port from being immersed in the sample. Incorrect suction of the sample before immersion in the sample.

In addition, in the measuring instrument of the present invention, the first container and the second container may communicate with each other via the second sample supply port. In this case, it is preferable to further include a valve for preventing the sample from flowing from the second container into the first container through the second sample supply port.

Here, it is further preferable to correct the quantitative result of the other based on any one of the quantitative result of the first analyte substance and the quantitative result of the second analyte substance.

In this way, by measuring a plurality of inspection items related to each other, the accuracy of the measurement results can be improved.

Examples of the sample in the present invention include body fluids such as serum, plasma, blood, urine, interstitial fluid, and lymph fluid, and liquid samples such as culture supernatant. Alternatively, a reagent that reacts with a specific component in the above-mentioned body fluid, such as an enzyme, an antibody, or a pigment, may be mixed with the body fluid and supplied as a sample to a measuring device.

Among them, urine is preferable as the sample. When the sample is urine, daily health management at home can be performed noninvasively.

Examples of the first sample substance include albumin, hCG, LH, CRP, IgG, and the like. In addition, examples of the second sample substance include sodium ions, potassium ions, lithium ions, magnesium ions, calcium ions, chloride ions, ammonium ions, hydrogen ions, glucose, and the like.

In the qualitative examination of urine at the initial stage of health management, pH, specific gravity, protein, sugar, occult blood, ketone body, bilirubin, urobilinogen, nitrite, leukocyte, ascorbic acid, amylase, salt, etc. 12 items are checked. In addition, there is microalbumin for the purpose of analyzing renal function, and hormones such as hCG and LH are used as markers for pregnancy tests, ovulation tests, and the like.

Roughly classifying these inspection items, hormones such as protein, microalbumin, hCG, and LH are suitable for optical measurement based on antigen-antibody reactions. Examples of optical measurements based on antigen-antibody reactions include immunoturbidimetry, immunoturbidimetry, latex immunoagglutination, and other methods for measuring turbidity generated in a sample by antigen-antibody reactions.

On the other hand, the salt content (sodium ion, potassium ion), pH, sugar, etc. in urine are mainly measured based on electrochemical measurement. In particular, sugar and salt in urine are substances that reflect lifestyle habits such as diet, and are important information for proposing solutions related to health management.

Salt and pH affect antigen-antibody responses. For example, the dissociation of the antigen-antibody reaction in the state of high salt concentration is strong and the reaction volume is reduced, which causes a negative measurement error. Since the salt content and pH in urine have intraday fluctuations, diurnal fluctuations, and individual differences, it is difficult to predict the resulting errors. However, the difference in antigen concentration can be corrected by obtaining the salt value or pH value by electrochemical measurement, and referring to the data showing the relationship between the outgoing light intensity and the antigen concentration at various salt concentrations or pH values in optical measurement as a calibration curve. Measurement error.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the following description, the same or corresponding part is attached|subjected with the same code|symbol, and the overlapping description may be abbreviate|omitted.

[Embodiment 1]

1. Measuring instrument

One embodiment of the measurement device of the present invention will be described in detail below using the drawings. Here, a case where the sample is urine, the first test substance is human albumin, and the second test substance is glucose will be described.

First, the configuration of the measurement device according to the present embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 to 3 . FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a measuring instrument of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 . Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the measuring instrument of the present invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 .

The measuring instrument 100 of the present embodiment has a length along the arrow P direction, and includes a first member 101 , a second member 102 , and a third member 103 made of transparent polystyrene.

By combining the first member 101 and the third member 103 , a space with open ends is formed, and this space part functions as the first container 104 . Furthermore, one open end of the space functioning as the first container 104 functions as the first sample supply port 105 , and the other open end functions as the first suction port 106 .

In addition, a pair of conductive parts are provided on the third member 103 . Furthermore, a cover 203 made of insulating resin is provided on the pair of conductive parts so that the pair of electrodes 201a, 202a and the pair of connection parts 201b, 202b are exposed into the first container 104 (see FIG. 3 ).

Furthermore, similarly, by combining the second member 102 and the third member 103 , a space with both ends open is formed, and this space portion functions as the second container 107 . Furthermore, one open end of the space functioning as the second container 107 functions as the second sample supply port 108 , and the other open end functions as the second suction port 109 .

In addition, a reagent holder 110 for holding a reagent for optical measurement is provided on the second member 102 in the second container 107 . Furthermore, at a position where the distance Y from the first sample supply port 105 to the electrodes 201a and 202a is longer than the distance X from the second sample supply port 108 to the reagent holding part 110 (that is, a position that satisfies the relational expression X<Y) , a reagent holding unit 110 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the reagent holding portion 110 of the measuring instrument 100 according to this embodiment is provided on a surface 102 a of the second member 102 facing the third member 103 .

The outer surface of the second member 102 is composed of three surfaces 102b, 102c, and 102d, and one of the two surfaces 102c, 102d at a position sandwiching the first surface 102b on which the reagent holding portion 110 is formed on the back side is incident as light. One part 111 functions, and the other functions as the light emitting part 112 . The light incident part 111 and the light emitting part 112 correspond to the optical measurement part of this invention.

Here, when using the measuring instrument 110 of this embodiment, as described later, after immersing a part of the measuring instrument 100 in, for example, urine collected in a container, the first suction port 106 and the second suction port 106 and the second suction port are drawn through the measuring device. The suction port 109 sucks urine and supplies it into the first container 104 and the second container 107 .

Therefore, near the first sample supply port 105 and the second sample supply port 108, a reference line 115 serving as a reference for immersing the measuring instrument 100 in the sample is provided. If there is such a reference line 115, in the process of immersing the measuring device 100 in urine as a sample, the measuring device 100 can be immersed in the sample up to the part of the reference line 115, and the urine can be reliably measured. While being supplied into the first container 104 and the second container 107, measurement can be reliably performed.

The thickness and shape of the reference line 115 are not particularly limited as long as they are visible. In FIG. 1 , the reference line is provided on only one side of the measuring instrument 100 , but the reference line may be provided on all sides.

Such a reference line 115 may be formed, for example, by printing on the surface of the measuring instrument 100, or by providing grooves or ribs.

Next, a method of manufacturing the measurement device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the measuring instrument of the present embodiment.

The first member 101, the second member 102, and the third member 103 are each made of transparent polystyrene and can be obtained by molding using a mold. For molding, known resin molding techniques can be used.

The 1st member 101 and the 2nd member 102 each have a recessed part, and are mutually combined by pinching the plate-shaped 3rd member 103, and the 1st container 104 and the 2nd container 107 are integrally comprised.

The dimensions of the first member 101, the second member 102, and the third member 103 may be, for example, a width (A of FIG. 3 ) of 10 mm, a length (B of FIG. 3 ) of 84 mm, and a thickness of 1 mm.

In addition, the heights (C of FIG. 3 ) of the first member 101 and the second member 102 may both be 6 mm, for example.

Next, the reagent holding portion 110 is formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion of the second member 102 , that is, the surface 102 .

For example, an aqueous solution of an antibody to human albumin, which is a reagent used for optical measurement, is dripped at a constant amount onto the bottom surface (surface 102a) of the concave portion of the second member 102 using a microsyringe or the like, and then it is statically coated. The reagent can be loaded in a dry state by placing it in an environment from room temperature to about 30°C to evaporate water. For example, an aqueous solution of the above-mentioned antibody having a concentration of 8 mg/dL can be used to drop 0.7 mL onto a portion having an area of 5 cm ² .

The concentration and amount of the aqueous solution containing the applied reagent can be appropriately selected according to the required characteristics of the device and the space constraints of the formation position of the second member 102 . In addition, the position and area of the reagent holding portion 110 of the second member 102 can be appropriately selected in consideration of the solubility of the reagent in the sample, the position of the optical measurement portion, and the like.

In addition, antibodies against human albumin can be obtained by conventionally known methods. For example, anti-human albumin antibodies can be obtained by purifying the antiserum of rabbits immunized with human albumin by protein A column chromatography and dialysis using a dialysis tube.

On the other hand, a pair of conductive parts are arranged on the surface 103 a of the third member 103 on the side of the first member 101 . For example, an acrylic resin mask having voids of the same shape as the pair of conductive parts can be placed on the third member 103, gold can be sputtered through it, and the mask can be removed to form a pair of conductive parts. Instead of sputtering, vapor deposition can also be formed in the same order.

The size of the pair of conductive parts is not particularly limited, for example, the width may be about 2 mm, the length may be about 14 mm, and the thickness may be about 5 μm. In order to define the size (length) of the electrodes 201a, 202a and the connection parts 201b, 202b, a cover 203 made of insulating resin is attached so that both ends of the conductive part are exposed and part of the conductive part is covered. As the cover 203, for example, a PET film coated with an acrylic adhesive having a width of about 10 mm, a length of about 5 mm, and a thickness of about 0.1 mm can be used. The cover 203 is arranged so that the lengths of the electrodes 201a and 202a are, for example, 4 mm, respectively, and the lengths of the connecting parts are, for example, 5 mm.

The material, area, thickness, shape, and position of the conductive portion, electrode, and connection portion can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the required characteristics of the instrument, the position of the optical measurement system, and the like.

In addition, glucose oxidase as an enzyme and osmium complex as an electron transporter were immobilized and supported on the surfaces of the electrodes 201a and 202a using known methods.

For example, a solution of polyvinylimidazole coordinatingly bonded with bipyridyl osmium chloride and a solution of glucose oxidase are mixed and coated on the electrodes 201a and 202a, and then added to the above solutions on the electrodes 201a and 202a Polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether as an amine crosslinker and mixed. After standing still for about 1 hour, the surfaces of the electrodes 201a and 202a were washed with distilled water.

The first member 101 , the second member 102 , and the third member 103 obtained above are joined in the positional relationship shown by the dotted line in FIG. 3 , and the measuring instrument 100 is assembled. After applying an adhesive such as epoxy resin to the joining portion of the first member 101 and the third member 103 and the joining portion of the second member 102 and the third member 103, each member is bonded and left to dry. , so that the measuring instrument 100 is assembled.

In addition, after bonding the first member 101, the second member 102, and the third member 103 without using an adhesive, the bonded portions may be welded by heat or ultrasonic waves using a commercially available welding machine. As described above, the measuring instrument 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be obtained.

2. Measuring device

Next, embodiments of the measuring device of the present invention will be described using the drawings. The configuration of the measuring device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 . FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the measurement device of the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the measurement device of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the measuring device 300 of the present embodiment has a measuring instrument mounting portion 301 for mounting the measuring instrument 100, and the measuring instrument mounting portion 301 has a first suction pump for detachably connecting to the measuring instrument 100. The port 106 and the instrument mounting port (not shown) of the second suction port 109 and terminals (not shown) for electrically connecting to the connection parts 201b, 202b. In addition, a display unit 302 serving as a display for displaying measurement results, a sample suction start button 303 , and a measuring instrument take-out button 304 are also provided.

Two protrusions are provided inside the instrument mounting port, and the protrusions are respectively inserted into the first suction port 106 and the second suction port 109 when the measuring instrument 100 is mounted. At this time, it is preferable to provide, for example, a fluororesin such as Teflon (registered trademark) or an elastic resin annular sealing material such as isoprene rubber around the above-mentioned protrusion so that air leakage does not occur at the junction. , thereby improving the adhesion between the convex portion and the first suction port 106 and the second suction port 109 . The sealing material may be linear, and the protrusion itself may be made of elastic resin such as Teflon (registered trademark) or isoprene rubber.

As shown in FIG. 5 , a light source 407 for emitting incident light to the optical measuring section of the measuring instrument 100 attached to the measuring instrument mounting section 301 is provided inside the measuring device 300 , and for receiving light emitted from the optical measuring section. A photoreceiver 408 for emitting light, a voltage application unit 402 for applying a voltage to the electrodes 201a, 202a of the measuring instrument 100, and an electrical signal measurement unit 405 for measuring electrical signals from the electrodes 201a, 202a.

In addition, inside the measurement device 300, there is also a device for measuring the substance to be measured contained in the sample based on at least one of the emitted light received by the light receiver 408 and the electrical signal measured by the electrical signal measurement unit 405. The CPU 401 of the calculation unit for detection or quantification, and the piston mechanism 404 as a suction unit for sucking a sample into the first container 104 and the second container 107 of the measuring instrument 100 .

As the light source 407 of this embodiment, for example, a semiconductor laser emitting light with a wavelength of 650 nm can be used. A light emitting diode (LED) or the like may also be used instead of it.

In addition, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the measurement by immunoturbidimetry is used and the irradiation and light reception wavelengths of 650 nm are selected, but this wavelength can be appropriately selected according to the measurement method or measurement object.

As the photoreceiver 408 in this embodiment, for example, a photodiode can be used. It is also possible to use a photomultimeter, a charge-coupled device (CCD), or the like as the photoreceiver 408 instead of it.

In addition, the piston mechanism 404 of this embodiment is configured so that the piston is operated by a linear stepping motor.

Furthermore, a memory 409 serving as a storage unit is provided inside the measurement device 300, and a first calibration curve representing the relationship between the concentration of human albumin, the first analyte substance, and the intensity of emitted light received by the light receiver 408 is stored therein. The related data and the data related to the second calibration curve showing the relationship between the glucose concentration of the second analyte substance and the electrical signal measured by the electrical signal measuring unit 405 .

3. Measurement method

Next, a method of measuring a test substance in a sample using the measuring instrument 100 and the measuring device 300 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 . An example using urine as a sample will be described below.

First, the first suction port 106 and the second suction port 109 of the measuring instrument 100 are joined to the instrument mounting port (not shown) in the measuring instrument mounting part 301, thereby mounting the measuring instrument 100 on the measuring instrument mounting part 301. . Thereby, the connection parts 201b, 202b are brought into contact with the two terminals provided inside the measuring instrument mounting part 301 so as to be electrically connected to the two electrodes 201a, 202a of the measuring instrument 100 .

At this time, a measuring instrument insertion sensing switch (not shown) constituted by a microswitch provided in the measuring device 300 operates, and the CPU 401 functioning as a control unit senses the insertion of the measuring instrument 100, and the measuring instrument 100 is inserted through the voltage applying unit 402. A voltage is applied between the two electrodes 201a and 202a of 100 (for example, the electrode 201a has a voltage of +0.2V compared to the electrode 202a).

Next, the measuring instrument 100 is immersed in urine collected in a portable container such as a urine container or a paper cup installed in the toilet until it reaches at least the position of the reference line 115, and then the first sample supply port of the measuring instrument 100 is inserted. 105 and the second sample supply port 108 are immersed in urine.

Here, the user confirms that at least the first sample supply port 105 and the second sample supply port 108 are immersed in urine, presses the sample suction start button 303 in this state, and the suction pump provided in the measurement device 300 is activated. Piston mechanism 404, which is a part of the means, operates, whereby the piston in piston mechanism 404 moves, and a predetermined amount (for example, 3 mL) of urine is respectively supplied from first sample supply port 105 and second sample supply port 108 of measuring instrument 100. It is sucked into the first container 104 and the second container 107 so that the liquid surface of the sample reaches the position of the lid 203 .

At this time, by keeping the piston at the position when the sample is sucked, the urine is held in the first container 104 and the second container 107, and urine does not flow from the first sample supply port 105 or the second sample supply port 108. It will not leak out or be sucked into the piston mechanism 404.

When the urine supplied into the first container 104 comes into contact with the electrodes 201a and 202a, an electric current flows between the two electrodes, and the electrical signal measuring unit 405 detects a change in the electrical signal caused by this.

Accompanied by this perception, the CPU 401 starts counting time by the timer as the timer unit 406 . In addition, the CPU 401 blocks the voltage applied by the voltage applying unit 402 following the above-mentioned sensing. When the timer starts counting, the display unit 302 displays that the counting is started. After this display, the first sample supply port 105 and the second sample supply port 108 can be lifted out of the urine.

The urine supplied into the second container 107 dissolves the anti-human albumin antibody, which is the dry reagent carried on the reagent holding unit 110, and an immune reaction between the human albumin, which is an antigen in urine, and the anti-human albumin antibody occurs.

Then, according to the signal from the timer unit 406, the CPU 401 judges that a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes) has elapsed since the urine reached the electrodes 201a and 202a, and then the CPU 401 implements light irradiation by the light source 407 and voltage application by the voltage application unit 402 (for example, the electrode 201a A voltage of +0.5 V compared to electrode 202a).

The photoreceiver 408 installed in the measurement device 300 receives the light emitted from the light source 407 within a predetermined time (for example, 3 minutes), enters the second container 107 through the light incident part 111 of the measurement instrument 100, transmits and scatteres in urine, And the light emitted from the light emitting part 112 .

The CPU 401 reads data related to the first calibration curve representing the relationship between the intensity of the emitted light and the concentration of human albumin stored in the memory 409, and by referring to the first calibration curve, the CPU 401 converts the intensity of the emitted light received by the light receiver 408 into human albumin concentration.

The obtained concentration of human albumin is displayed on the display unit 302 . By displaying human albumin on the display unit 302, the user can know that the measurement of the concentration of human albumin is completed.

On the other hand, when the CPU 401 judges that a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed after the application of the voltage by the signal from the timer unit 406, the electrical signal measuring unit 405 measures an electrical signal such as a current flowing between the electrode 201a and the electrode 202a. . The CPU 401 reads data related to the second calibration curve representing the relationship between the electrical signal and glucose (urine sugar) concentration stored in the memory 409, and by referring to the data, the CPU 401 converts the measured electrical signal into the urine glucose concentration.

The obtained glucose concentration is displayed on the display unit 302 . By displaying the glucose concentration on the display unit 302, the user can know that the glucose concentration measurement has been completed. The obtained glucose concentration and human albumin concentration are preferably stored in the memory 409 together with the time counted by the timer unit 406 .

Finally, the user presses the measuring instrument take-out button 304, so that the measuring instrument taking-out mechanism 410 works, and the piston in the piston mechanism 404 is moved to discharge the urine in the first container 104 and the second container 107 from the first sample supply port 105. and the second sample supply port 108 into a container such as a toilet or a paper cup, and then the measuring instrument 100 is automatically taken out from the measuring device 300 .

In addition, the measuring device may not be provided with such a mechanism for taking out the instrument and discharging the sample, and the user may manually take out the measuring instrument 100 from the measuring instrument mounting part 301 .

The obtained urine sugar concentration and human albumin concentration can be recorded in a storage medium such as an SD card through the recording unit 411 . Since the measurement results can be easily taken out from the measurement device 300 by being stored in a removable memory medium, the above-mentioned memory medium can be sent or mailed to an analyst for analysis.

In addition, the obtained urine sugar concentration and human albumin concentration can be transmitted to the outside of the measurement device 300 through the transmission unit 412 . Thereby, since the measurement result can be sent to the analysis-related department or analysis-related person in the hospital, and analyzed by the above-mentioned analysis-related department or analysis-related person, etc., the time from measurement to analysis can be shortened.

In addition, a receiving unit 413 for receiving the results of the analysis by the above-mentioned analysis-related departments, analysis-related persons, etc. is provided. Thereby, the analysis result can be promptly fed back to the user.

As described above, by supplying the sample once into the first container 104 and the second container 107 , the optical measurement and the electrochemical measurement of the sample can be performed using one measuring instrument 100 .

In addition, by providing the electrodes 201a and 202a in the first container 104 of the measuring instrument 100, and providing the reagent holding part 110 in the second container 107, the reagents required for optical measurement will not diffuse into the electrochemical measurement part, and will not affect the electrochemical measurement part. For chemical measurement, it is possible to quickly and accurately measure multiple measurement items.

In addition, the reagent holding part 110 is arranged at a position where the distance from the first sample supply port 105 to the electrodes 201a and 202a is longer than the distance from the second sample supply port 108 to the reagent holding part 110. The arrival of the sample at the electrode is sensed by a change in the signal, and incident light is automatically irradiated on the sample based on the detection, thereby preventing erroneous optical measurement before the reagent dissolves in the sample due to insufficient sample.

An example of the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the shape of the measurement device 100 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment as long as it satisfies the constituent requirements of the present invention and can obtain the effects of the present invention.

Here, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the measuring instrument of the above-mentioned embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of part B-B of FIG. 6 . Components that are the same as those in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are assigned the same symbols, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the measuring instrument 100 of this modified example has a rectangular parallelepiped shape including spaces that function as the first container 104 and the second container 107 inside. In addition, the measuring instrument 100 of this modified example includes a first member 101 and a second member 102, and a first sample supply port 105 and a second sample supply port 108 are respectively provided on the side surfaces of the first member 101 and the second member 102. .

[Embodiment 2]

1. Measuring instrument

Embodiment 2 of the measurement device of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, as in Embodiment 1, a case where the sample is urine, the first analyte is human albumin, and the second analyte is glucose will be described.

First, the configuration of the measuring instrument of this embodiment will be described using FIGS. 8 to 10 . FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the measuring instrument according to this embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 8 . FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the measuring instrument 600 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 . In addition, the same code|symbol is used for the component common to the component shown in FIGS. 1-3, and description is abbreviate|omitted.

The measuring instrument 600 of the present embodiment includes a cover member 601 made of transparent polystyrene, a spacer 602 , a second member 102 , and a third member 103 .

A space in which the first sample supply port 105 is opened is formed by combining the cover member 601 provided with the air hole 603 , the partition plate 602 provided with the slit 604 , and the third member 103 . This space functions as the first container 104 .

A pair of conductive parts 201 and 202 are provided on the third member 103 . Of the pair of conductive parts 201, 202, the part exposed inside the first container 104 functions as a pair of electrodes 201a, 202a, and the part exposed outside the measuring instrument 600 functions as a pair of connecting parts 201b, 202b. The first container 104 has a cavity structure, and when the sample is in contact with the first sample supply port 105, the air in the first container 104 is discharged from the air hole 603, and the sample is supplied from the first sample by capillary phenomenon. The port 105 supplies into the first container 104 .

The dimensions of the cover member 601 and the spacer 602 can be, for example, 3 mm in width (D in FIG. 10 ), 84 mm in length, and 300 μm in thickness, and the width of the slit 604 can be 1 mm, for example.

Similar to Embodiment 1, by combining the second member 102 and the third member 103 , a space with both ends open is formed, and this space portion functions as the second container 107 . One open end of the space functioning as the second container 107 functions as the second sample supply port 108 , and the other open end functions as the second suction port 109 .

In addition, a reagent holder 110 for holding a reagent for optical measurement is provided on the second member 102 in the second container 107 . The reagent holding part 110 is arranged at a position where the distance Y from the first sample supply port 105 to the electrodes 201 a and 202 a is longer than the distance X from the second sample supply port 108 to the reagent holding part 110 . The dimensions of the second member 102 and the third member 103 may be the same as those in the embodiment.

In the measurement device 600 of the present embodiment, the reagent holding portion 110 is provided on the surface 102 a of the second member 102 facing the third member 103 . Among the three surfaces constituting the outer surface of the second member 102, one of the two surfaces 102c and 102d at the position sandwiching the first surface 102b on which the reagent holding portion 110 is formed on the back side functions as the light incident portion 111, The other one functions as the light emitting unit 112 . The light incident part 111 and the light emitting part 112 correspond to the optical measurement part of this invention.

Next, a method of manufacturing the measurement device 600 of this embodiment will be described using FIG. 10 . Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the measuring instrument of this embodiment.

Like Embodiment 1, the cover member 601, the spacer 602, the second member 102, and the third member 103 are made of transparent polystyrene and can be obtained by molding using a mold.

Next, the reagent holding portion 110 is formed on the bottom surface 102 a of the concave portion of the second member 102 . The method of forming the reagent holding portion 110 is the same as that in Embodiment 1, so it is omitted.

On the other hand, a pair of conductive parts 201 and 202 are formed on the third member 103 . The conductive parts 201 and 202 are arranged at positions where, when the third member 103 is combined with the lid member 601 and the partition 602, a part of the conductive part is exposed to the first container formed by the slit 604 provided in the partition 602. 104 inside. Here, the conductive parts 201 and 202 are respectively made into an L-shape and an inverted L-shape.

The method of forming the conductive parts 201 and 202 is the same as that of Embodiment 1 except that the cover made of insulating resin is not pasted, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, it is preferable to perform a hydrophilic treatment on the inner surfaces of the third member 103 , the cover member 601 , and the first container 104 constituted by the slit 604 .

For example, 0.05 mL of a 0.1% lecithin/toluene solution is dropped onto the entire surface of the third member 103 , the cover member 601 , and the slit 604 constituting the inner surface of the first container 104 for coating. By standing still in the air for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate the toluene solvent, the entire surface can be made hydrophilic.

In addition, an aqueous solution of a surfactant such as glycol alkyl ether (TritonX-100) may be used instead of the lecithin solution, and the same hydrophilic treatment may be performed.

The lid member 601, spacer 602, second member 102, and third member 103 obtained above are joined in the positional relationship shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10, and the measuring instrument 600 is assembled. The joining method is the same as that of Embodiment 1, so it is omitted.

2. Measuring device

Next, the measuring device 800 of this embodiment will be described using FIGS. 11 and 5 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the measurement device of this embodiment. In addition, components common to those of the measurement device according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The measurement device 800 of this embodiment can attach the measurement device 600 to the measurement device 800 by detachably joining the end portion of the measurement device 600 on the second suction port 109 side. The measuring instrument mounting portion 301 has an instrument mounting port (not shown), and is provided with a display portion 302 for displaying measurement results, a sample suction start button 303 , and a measuring instrument take-out button 304 .

A convex portion is provided inside the instrument mounting port, and the convex portion is inserted into the second suction port 109 when the measuring instrument 600 is mounted. In this case, similarly to Embodiment 1, for example, an elastic resin seal ring such as Teflon (registered trademark) or isoprene rubber is preferably provided around the protrusion so that air leakage does not occur at the junction. , thereby improving the adhesion between the convex portion and the second suction port 109 .

Since the internal structure of the measurement device 800 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, description thereof will be omitted.

3. Measurement method

Next, a method of measuring a test substance in a sample using the measuring device of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 5 . An example using urine as a sample will be described below.

First, the measuring instrument 600 is mounted so that the second suction port 109 of the measuring instrument 600 is joined to the measuring instrument mounting portion 301 of the measuring device 800 . Thereby, the connection parts 201b, 202b contact the two terminals provided inside the measuring instrument mounting part 301 so as to electrically conduct with the two electrodes 201a, 202a of the measuring instrument 600, respectively.

At this time, a measuring instrument insertion sensing switch (not shown) constituted by a microswitch provided in the measuring device 800 operates, and the CPU 401 functioning as a control unit senses the insertion of the measuring instrument 600, and the measuring instrument 600 is inserted through the voltage applying unit 402. A voltage is applied between the two electrodes 201a and 202a of 600 (for example, the electrode 201a has a voltage of +0.2V compared to the electrode 202a).

In addition, in the present embodiment, the air hole 603 is not blocked by the housing of the measurement device 800 .

Next, at least the first sample supply port 105 and the second sample supply port 108 in the measuring device 600 are immersed in the urine collected in a portable container such as a urine container or a paper cup installed in the toilet. Thus, the sample is introduced into the first container 104 from the first sample supply port 105 by capillary action.

At this time, the air in the first container 104 is discharged from the air hole 603 , and at the same time, the sample fills the first container 104 to the vicinity of the air hole 603 . In this embodiment, since the inner surfaces of the third member 103 , the cover member 601 , and the slit 604 are hydrophilically treated, the sample can be smoothly and uniformly supplied into the first container 104 .

When the urine supplied into the first container 104 reaches the two electrodes 201a and 202a to which a voltage is applied, an electric current flows between the two electrodes, and the electric signal measuring unit 405 detects a change in the electric signal caused thereby. Based on this perception, the CPU 401 determines that the first sample supply port 105 and the second sample supply port 108 are immersed in the sample, and then operates the piston mechanism 404 .

As a result, the piston in the piston mechanism 404 moves, and a predetermined amount (for example, 3 mL) of urine is sucked from the second sample supply port 108 of the measuring device 600 into the second container 107 . By holding the piston at this position, urine is held in the second container 107 and does not leak from the second sample supply port 108 or be sucked into the piston mechanism 404 .

In addition, following this perception, the CPU 401 starts counting time by the timer as the timer unit 406 . In addition, the CPU 401 blocks the voltage applied by the voltage applying unit 402 following the above-mentioned sensing. When the timer starts counting, the display unit 302 displays that the counting is started. After this display, the first sample supply port 105 and the second sample supply port 108 can be lifted out of the urine.

The urine supplied into the second container 107 dissolves the anti-human albumin antibody, which is the dry reagent carried on the reagent holding unit 110, and an immune reaction between the human albumin, which is an antigen in urine, and the anti-human albumin antibody occurs.

Then, according to the signal from the timer unit 406, the CPU 401 judges that a predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes) has elapsed since the urine reached the electrodes 201a and 202a, and then the CPU 401 implements light irradiation by the light source 407 and voltage application by the voltage application unit 402 (for example, the electrode 201a A voltage of +0.5V compared to electrode 202a).

The subsequent steps of measuring the concentration of human albumin using the intensity of emitted light received by the photoreceiver 408 and measuring the glucose concentration using the electrical signal measured by the electrical signal measuring unit 405 are the same as those in Embodiment 1, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, by supplying the sample once into the first container 104 and the second container 107 , as in the first embodiment, optical measurement and electrochemical measurement of the sample can be performed using one measuring instrument 600 .

By providing the electrodes 201a, 202a in the first container 104 of the measuring instrument 600, and providing the reagent holding part 110 in the second container 107, the reagents required for the optical measurement will not diffuse into the electrochemical measurement part and will not affect the electrochemical measurement. Since it is affected, multiple measurement items can be quickly and accurately measured.

In addition, since the first container 104 has a cavity structure and the sample is supplied into the first container 104 from the first sample supply port 105 by capillary phenomenon, the first sample can be sensed based on the change of the electrical signal from the electrodes 201a and 202a. The first sample supply port 105 and the second sample supply port 108 are immersed in the sample. By automatically actuating the piston mechanism 404 in response to this sensing, it is possible to prevent erroneous suction of the sample before the second sample supply port 108 comes into contact with the sample.

In addition, since the operation of pressing the sample suction start button 303 can be omitted, the user's operations can be reduced. In addition, the measurement device 800 may not include the sample suction start button 303 .

In this embodiment, the air holes 603 of the cover member 601 are formed by molding using a mold, but instead of forming the air holes 603 by cutting or punching, the plate-shaped cover member 601 without the air holes 603 may be formed by molding. it.

In addition, the surface of the third member 103 and the cover member 601 and the inner surface of the slit 604 are subjected to a hydrophilic treatment so that the inner surface of the first container 104 becomes hydrophilic, but a hydrophilic material may also be used. The material forms the third member 103, the cover member 601 and the spacer 602 instead. As a material which has hydrophilicity, glass etc. are mentioned, for example.

Moreover, in this embodiment, in order to form the 1st container 104, the partition plate 602 provided with the slit 604 was used, but it is not limited to this. Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the measuring instrument of the present embodiment. The same symbols are assigned to the same configuration as in FIG. 10 , and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 12 , two rectangular (rail-shaped) plate members can be used as the separator 602 . In this case, the cover member 601 may not have the air holes 603 . By combining the lid member 601 , the spacer 602 , and the third member 103 , a space with open ends is formed, and the opening on the opposite side to the first sample supply port 105 functions as an air hole 603 .

The shape of the measuring device 600 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment as long as it satisfies the constituent requirements of the present invention and can obtain the effects of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the measuring instrument of the present embodiment, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view along line D-D of FIG. 13 . The same components as those in Fig. 1 are assigned the same symbols, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the measuring instrument 600 of this modified example has a combination of a first cuboid having a space functioning as the first container 104 inside and a space smaller than the first container having a space functioning as the second container 107 inside. The shape formed by the second cuboid of the cuboid. In addition, the measuring instrument 600 of this modified example has a second member 102, a cover member 601, a spacer 602, and a third member 103, and a first sample supply port 105 and a first sample supply port 105 are respectively provided on the side surfaces of the cover member 601 and the second member 102. The second sample supply port 108 .

[Embodiment 3]

Next, Embodiment 3 of the measurement device of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, as in Embodiment 1, a case where the sample is urine, the first analyte is human albumin, and the second analyte is glucose will be described.

First, the structure of the measuring instrument 700 of this embodiment is demonstrated using FIGS. 15-18. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a measuring instrument 700 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 15 . FIG. 17 is a plan view of a measuring device 700 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of the measuring device 700 . The same reference numerals are used for components common to those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , and explanations thereof are omitted.

The measuring instrument 700 of the present embodiment includes a first member 701 , a second member 702 , and a third member 703 made of transparent polystyrene. The outer surface of the first member 701 is composed of three surfaces 701a, 701b, and 701c. The first sample supply port 105 is provided on the first surface 701c.

The first member 701, the second member 702, and the third member 703 are combined in the positional relationship shown by the dotted line in FIG. 18, and the third member 703 serves as a partition to form two spaces. Of the two spaces, the space communicating with the first sample supply port 105 functions as the first container 104 , and the other space functions as the second container 107 .

The third member 703 has an opening 705 in the center of the rectangular plate-shaped member that communicates with the first container 104 and the second container 107 . The opening 705 functions as the first suction port 106 and the second sample supply port 108 of the measuring instrument 100 according to the first embodiment. In addition, a backflow prevention valve 704 is provided at the center of the third member 703 so as to cover the opening 705 on the second container 107 side, thereby preventing backflow from the second container 107 to the first container 104 .

A pair of conductive parts 201 and 202 are provided on the inner wall surface 720b of the second member 702 . A part of the pair of conductive parts 201 and 202 is covered with a cover 203 made of insulating resin. Of the pair of conductive parts, the part exposed into the first container 104 functions as a pair of electrodes 201a, 202a, and the part exposed into the second container 107 functions as a pair of connecting parts 201b, 202b.

The dimensions of the first member 701 and the second member 702 may be, for example, 10 mm in width (A in FIG. 18 ), 84 mm in length (B in FIG. 18 ), and 1 mm in thickness.

In addition, the heights (C of FIG. 18 ) of the first member 701 and the second member 702 may both be 3.5 mm, for example.

Further, a reagent holding portion 110 for holding a reagent for optical measurement is provided on the inner wall surface 702a of the second member 702 in the second container 107 .

The outer surface of the first member 701 is composed of three surfaces 701a, 701b, and 701c, and on one of the two surfaces 701a, 701b that are positioned opposite each other, the portion surrounding the second container 107 functions as the light incident portion 111, A portion surrounding the second container 107 on the other surface functions as the light emitting portion 112 . The light incident part 111 and the light emitting part 112 correspond to the optical measurement part of this invention.

Next, a method of manufacturing the measurement device 700 of this embodiment will be described using FIG. 18 . FIG. 18 is an exploded perspective view of a measuring instrument 700 according to this embodiment.

Like Embodiment 1, the first member 701, the second member 702, and the third member 703 are made of transparent polystyrene and can be obtained by molding using a mold.

Next, the valve 704 is arranged on the surface of the third member 703 on the second container 107 side so as to cover the opening 705 . The valve 704 is preferably made of a flexible resin such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber. Part of the periphery of the valve 704 made of resin is bonded to the third member 703, and the remaining part is not bonded, and the valve 704 is attached to the surface of the third member 703 on the second container 107 side so as to cover the opening 705. . Thus, the sample flows from the first container 104 into the second container 107 through the opening 705 and the portion of the valve 704 that is not bonded to the third member 703 . More specifically, when a sample is supplied into the first container 104 from the first sample supply port 105, the supplied sample presses the valve 704 from below, and the unbonded part of the valve 704 is pressed to the top. , as shown in FIG. 19, the valve 704 is deformed. Thus, the sample can flow in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the sample is supplied into the second container 107 . On the other hand, the sample does not flow in the direction opposite to the arrow direction in FIG. 19 , that is, the sample does not flow from the second container 107 into the first container 104 . In this way, the valve 704 functions as a valve for preventing backflow.

Next, the reagent holding portion 110 is formed on the surface 702 a of the second member 702 . The method of forming the reagent holding portion 110 is the same as that in Embodiment 1, so it is omitted.

Furthermore, a pair of conductive parts 201 and 202 and a cover 203 are formed on the concave bottom surface 702b of the second member 702 . The method of forming the conductive parts 201 and 202 and the cover 203 is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

The first member 701, the second member 702, and the third member 703 obtained above are joined in the positional relationship shown by the dotted line in FIG. 18, and the measuring instrument 700 is assembled. The joining method is the same as that of Embodiment 1, so it is omitted.

2. Measuring device

Next, the measurement device 900 according to this embodiment will be described using FIGS. 20 and 21 . Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing the measurement device of the present embodiment. FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the measurement device according to this embodiment. Components common to those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The measurement device 900 of the present embodiment can attach the measurement device 700 to the measurement device 900 by detachably joining the end portion of the measurement device 700 of the measurement device of the first embodiment on the second suction port 109 side. The measuring instrument mounting portion 901 has an instrument mounting port (not shown), and is provided with a display portion 902 for displaying measurement results and a sample suction start button 903 .

A convex portion is provided inside the instrument mounting port, and the convex portion is inserted into the second suction port 109 when the measuring instrument 700 is mounted. At this time, like Embodiment 1, it is preferable to provide an elastic resin seal ring such as Teflon (registered trademark) or isoprene rubber around the above-mentioned convex portion so that air in the joint portion does not occur. Leakage improves the adhesion between the convex portion and the second suction port 109 .

As shown in FIG. 21 , the internal configuration of the measuring device 900 is a configuration in which the measuring device taking out mechanism 401 and the measuring device taking out button 304 are removed from the configuration of the measuring device shown in FIG. 4 of the first embodiment.

3. Measurement method

Next, a method of measuring a test substance in a sample using the measuring device 700 and the measuring device 900 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21 . An example using urine as a sample will be described below.

First, the second suction port 109 of the measuring instrument 700 is connected to the instrument mounting port (not shown) in the measuring instrument mounting part 901 , and the measuring instrument 700 is mounted on the measuring device mounting part 901 . Thereby, the connection parts 201b, 202b contact the two terminals provided inside the measuring instrument mounting part 901 so as to electrically conduct with the two electrodes 201a, 202a of the measuring instrument 700, respectively.

At this time, a measuring instrument insertion detection switch (not shown) constituted by a microswitch provided in the measuring device 900 operates, and the CPU 401 functioning as a control unit senses the insertion of the measuring instrument 700, and the measuring instrument 700 is inserted through the voltage applying unit 402. A voltage is applied between the two electrodes 201a and 202a of 700 (for example, the electrode 201a has a voltage of +0.2V compared to the electrode 202a).

Next, the measuring instrument 700 is immersed in urine collected in a portable container such as a urine container or a paper cup installed in the toilet, at least up to the position of the reference line 115, and the first sample supply port 105 of the measuring instrument 700 is immersed. in the urine.

Here, the user confirms that at least the first sample supply port 105 is immersed in urine, presses the sample suction start button 903 in this state, and operates the piston mechanism 404 which is a part of the suction means provided in the measuring device 900. Accordingly, the piston in the piston mechanism 404 moves to suck urine from the first sample supply port 105 of the measuring instrument 700 into the first container 104 .

When the urine supplied into the first container 104 comes into contact with the electrodes 201a and 202a, since a current flows between the two electrodes, the electrical signal measuring unit 405 detects a change in the electrical signal caused by this.

Accompanied by this perception, the CPU 401 starts counting time by the timer as the timer unit 406 . In addition, the CPU 401 blocks the voltage applied by the voltage applying unit 402 following the above-mentioned sensing. When the timer starts counting, the display unit 902 displays that the counting is started.

Urine is supplied into the second container 107 through the gap between the valve 704 and the third member 703 and the opening 705 caused by the deformation of the valve 704 shown in FIG. 19 . At this time, the urine supplied to the second container 107 is prevented from flowing back into the first container 104 by the valve 704 .

Next, based on the signal from the timer unit 406, the CPU 401 judges that a predetermined time (for example, 30 seconds) has elapsed since the urine reached the electrodes 201a and 202a, and when a predetermined amount of urine has been supplied into the second container 107, the CPU 401 stops using the piston mechanism 404. suction of urine.

At this time, by holding the piston at the position where the sample is sucked, the urine is held in the first container 104 and the second container 107, and will not leak from the first sample supply port 105 or be sucked. to the inside of the piston mechanism 404 .

The urine supplied into the second container 107 dissolves the anti-human albumin antibody, which is the dry reagent carried on the reagent holding unit 110, and an immune reaction between human albumin, which is an antigen in urine, and the anti-human albumin antibody occurs.

Next, when the CPU 401 judges that the urine has reached the electrodes 201a and 202a by the signal from the timer unit 406, the second predetermined time (for example, 2 minutes) has elapsed, the CPU 401 executes light irradiation by the light source 407 and voltage application by the voltage application unit 402 ( For example, electrode 201a has a voltage of +0.5V compared to electrode 202a).

The photoreceiver 408 installed in the measuring device 900 accepts the light emitted from the light source 407 and incident into the second container 107 through the light incident part 111 of the measuring instrument 700 within a predetermined time period (for example, 3 minutes), and is transmitted and scattered in urine. , the light emitted from the light emitting portion 112 . Here, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 , the portion surrounding the second container 107 in the surface 701b of the first member 701 of the measuring instrument 700 is used as the light incident portion 111, and the portion surrounding the surface 701a of the first member 701 of the measuring instrument 700 A portion of the second container 107 serves as the light emitting portion 112 .

The CPU 401 reads the data related to the first calibration curve representing the relationship between the intensity of the emitted light and the concentration of human albumin stored in the memory 409. Referring to the first calibration curve, the CPU 401 converts the intensity of the emitted light received by the light receiver 408 into human albumin. concentration.

The obtained concentration of human albumin is displayed on the display unit 902 . By displaying human albumin on the display unit 902, the user can know that the measurement of the concentration of human albumin is completed.

On the other hand, when the CPU 401 judges that a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed after the application of the voltage based on the signal from the timer unit 406, an electrical signal such as a current flowing between the electrode 201a and the electrode 202a is measured by the electrical signal measuring unit 405. . CPU 401 reads data related to the second calibration curve representing the relationship between the electrical signal and glucose (urine sugar) concentration stored in memory 409 , and refers to the data to convert the measured electrical signal into urine glucose concentration.

The obtained glucose concentration is displayed on the display unit 902 . By displaying the glucose concentration on the display unit 902, the user can know that the glucose concentration measurement has been completed. The obtained glucose concentration and human albumin concentration are preferably stored in the memory 409 together with the time counted by the timer unit 406 .

Finally, the user manually removes the measuring instrument 700 from the measuring instrument mounting part 901 .

3, FIG. 8, FIG. 10, FIG. 12, FIG. 13, FIG. 15 and FIG. Ignored their thickness to represent. In FIG. 18 , the valve 704 and the reagent holding part 110 are also shown with their thicknesses omitted.

In addition, in the above embodiments, the reagent holding part is formed by coating an aqueous solution containing a reagent for optical measurement and then drying it, but a method of impregnating a porous carrier such as glass fiber or filter paper may be used instead. The reagent is loaded by drying or freeze-drying in a solution of the reagent, and then the porous carrier is pasted on the bottom surface of the concave part of the second member 102 to load the reagent.

In addition, the electrodes are formed by sputtering or vapor deposition, but a method of affixing a metal tape or a method of printing an ink containing metal or carbon may be used instead. In these cases, lead wires for electrical connection between the electrodes and the measurement device can be produced simultaneously with the electrodes.

Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the voltage is temporarily blocked when urine is sensed to be in contact with the two electrodes 201a and 202a, and the voltage value is switched when the voltage is reapplied, but the switching is not necessarily required. As long as the application of the voltage necessary for the measurement is started before the sample is supplied, the application of the voltage may be continued after the supply.

In addition, in the above embodiments, light irradiation is performed after a predetermined time elapses after sensing that urine has come into contact with the two electrodes 201a and 202a, but irradiation may also be started simultaneously with sample sensing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a measuring instrument, a measuring device, and a measuring method that can quickly and accurately measure a plurality of measurement items with a simple configuration by performing optical measurement and electrochemical measurement of a sample. It is useful in the field of inspection, especially in the case of measuring urine samples.

Claims (as amended under Article 19 of the Treaty)

1. (After revision) A measuring instrument for analyzing a test substance contained in a sample, comprising: a first container and a second container for holding a sample containing the test substance; an optical measurement unit for optically measuring the sample in the second container;

The first container has a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying the sample into the first container;

The second container includes a second sample supply port for supplying the sample into the second container, and a reagent holding portion for holding a reagent for the optical measurement;

The second container does not include electrodes.

2. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein the optical measuring unit has: a light incident unit for making incident light incident from the outside of the second container to the inside; The inside of the second container emits light to the outside of the light emitting portion.

3. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrodes are a pair of electrodes.

4. The measurement device according to claim 1, wherein an enzyme is attached to the electrode.

5. The measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reagent contains an enzyme or an antibody.

6. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the distance X from the second sample supply port to the reagent holding part is the same as the distance X from the first sample supply port to the reagent holding part. The reagent holding portion and the electrodes are arranged such that the distance Y between the electrodes satisfies the relational expression X<Y.

7. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first container further includes an air hole.

8. A measuring device for analyzing a substance to be measured contained in a sample, comprising: a measuring device installation part for mounting the measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; 2. A light source for incident light from the outside of the container to the inside; a light receiving unit for receiving light emitted from the inside of the second container to the outside; a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the electrodes; an electric signal measuring unit for measuring an electric signal from the electrode; and for measuring based on at least one of the outgoing light received by the light receiving unit and the electric signal measured by the electric signal measuring unit A computing unit for detecting or quantifying the analyte contained in the sample.

9. The measuring device according to claim 8, further comprising a suction unit for supplying the sample by suction to the measuring instrument attached to the measuring instrument mounting portion. At least one of the first container and the second container.

10. A method for measuring a first analyte and a second analyte contained in a sample using a measuring instrument, wherein the measuring instrument is equipped with a method for maintaining the first analyte and the second analyte a first container and a second container for a sample of a substance, and an optical measurement unit for optically measuring the sample held in the second container;

The first container has a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying the sample into the first container;

The second container includes a second sample supply port for supplying the sample into the second container and a reagent holding portion for holding a reagent for the optical measurement,

The assay method comprises the following steps:

(A) a step of supplying the sample into the first container through the first sample supply port immersed in the sample;

(B) a step of supplying the sample into the second container through the second sample supply port immersed in the sample;

(C) a step of applying a voltage to the electrodes;

(D) a step of measuring electrical signals from the electrodes;

(E) a step of detecting or quantifying the second analyte based on the electrical signal measured in the step (D);

(F) a step of irradiating incident light onto the sample held in the second container through the optical measurement unit;

(G) a step of measuring emitted light emitted from the inside of the second container through the optical measurement unit to the outside due to the irradiation of the incident light;

(H) A step of detecting or quantifying the first analyte substance based on the emitted light measured in the step (G).

11. The measuring method according to claim 10, wherein, in the measuring instrument, the distance X from the second sample supply port to the reagent holding part is the same as the distance X from the first sample supply port to the reagent holding part. arranging the reagent holding part and the electrodes so that the distance Y of the electrodes satisfies the relational expression X<Y; detecting the change of the electrical signal in the step (D), and automatically performing the process based on the detection; The process (F).

12. The measuring method according to claim 10, wherein, in the measuring instrument, the first container is further provided with an air hole, and the first sample supply port and the second sample supply port are arranged at At positions adjacent to each other; detecting a change in the electrical signal in the step (D), and passing the sample through the second sample supply port in the step (B) based on the detection Aspirate to the inside of the second container.

13. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first container and the second container communicate with each other via the second sample supply port.

14. The measuring instrument according to claim 13, further comprising a valve that prevents the sample from flowing from the second container to the first container through the second sample supply port.

Claims (14)

1. A measuring instrument for analyzing a test substance contained in a sample, comprising: a first container and a second container for holding a sample containing the test substance; an optical measurement unit for optically measuring the sample in the container; The first container has a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying the sample into the first container; The second container includes a second sample supply port for supplying the sample into the second container, and a reagent holding portion for holding a reagent used for the optical measurement. 2. The measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein the optical measuring unit has: a light incident unit for making incident light incident from the outside of the second container to the inside; The inside of the second container emits light to the outside of the light emitting portion. 3. The measuring instrument according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrodes are a pair of electrodes. 4. The measurement device according to claim 1, wherein an enzyme is attached to the electrode. 5. The measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reagent contains an enzyme or an antibody. 6. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the distance X from the second sample supply port to the reagent holding part is the same as the distance X from the first sample supply port to the reagent holding part. The reagent holding portion and the electrodes are arranged such that the distance Y between the electrodes satisfies the relational expression X<Y. 7. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first container further includes an air hole. 8. A measuring device for analyzing a substance to be measured contained in a sample, comprising: a measuring device installation part for mounting the measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; 2. A light source for incident light from the outside of the container to the inside; a light receiving unit for receiving light emitted from the inside of the second container to the outside; a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the electrodes; an electric signal measuring unit for measuring an electric signal from the electrode; and for measuring based on at least one of the outgoing light received by the light receiving unit and the electric signal measured by the electric signal measuring unit A computing unit for detecting or quantifying the analyte contained in the sample. 9. The measuring device according to claim 8, further comprising a suction unit for supplying the sample by suction to the measuring instrument attached to the measuring instrument mounting portion. At least one of the first container and the second container. 10. A method for measuring a first analyte and a second analyte contained in a sample using a measuring instrument, wherein the measuring instrument is equipped with a method for maintaining the first analyte and the second analyte a first container and a second container for a sample of a substance, and an optical measurement unit for optically measuring the sample held in the second container; The first container has a first sample supply port and an electrode for supplying the sample into the first container; The second container includes a second sample supply port for supplying the sample into the second container and a reagent holding portion for holding a reagent for the optical measurement, The assay method comprises the following steps: (A) a step of supplying the sample into the first container through the first sample supply port immersed in the sample; (B) a step of supplying the sample into the second container through the second sample supply port immersed in the sample; (C) a step of applying a voltage to the electrodes; (D) a step of measuring electrical signals from the electrodes; (E) a step of detecting or quantifying the second analyte based on the electrical signal measured in the step (D); (F) a step of irradiating incident light onto the sample held in the second container through the optical measurement unit; (G) a step of measuring emitted light emitted from the inside of the second container through the optical measurement unit to the outside due to the irradiation of the incident light; (H) A step of detecting or quantifying the first analyte substance based on the emitted light measured in the step (G). 11. The measuring method according to claim 10, wherein, in the measuring instrument, the distance X from the second sample supply port to the reagent holding part is the same as the distance X from the first sample supply port to the reagent holding part. arranging the reagent holding part and the electrodes so that the distance Y of the electrodes satisfies the relational expression X<Y; detecting the change of the electrical signal in the step (D), and automatically performing the process based on the detection; The process (F). 12. The measuring method according to claim 10, wherein, in the measuring instrument, the first container is further provided with an air hole, and the first sample supply port and the second sample supply port are arranged at At positions adjacent to each other; detecting a change in the electrical signal in the step (D), and passing the sample through the second sample supply port in the step (B) based on the detection Aspirate to the inside of the second container. 13. The measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first container and the second container communicate with each other via the second sample supply port. 14. The measuring instrument according to claim 13, further comprising a valve that prevents the sample from flowing from the second container to the first container through the second sample supply port.

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